Archive for the ‘soymilk’ Category

I am a vegetarian and eat tofu, but I am hearing two things about tofu that are bothering me.

1) Tofu has large amounts of antibiotics or other additives dangerous to the human body.

2) In order to make tofu and fulfill the global need for tofu, the Brazilians have undertaken an incredible rate of slash and burn to clear fields to make way for planting of soybeans.

What are your thoughts?

— Barlow Humphreys
Westchester, NY

1) Tofu does not contain antibiotics.

The use of antibiotics only comes into play with animals that have them mixed into their feed.

Non-organic tofu contains pesticides, but there are no “dangerous additives” in soy products.

2) Brazil is one of the world’s top producers of soy.

It is certainly true that the increased demand for soy (along with corporate-owned genetically modified soy crops that can practically grow anywhere) have led to a staggering amount of deforestation there.

That said (and please do not take this to mean I am dismissing that as unimportant) — meat production takes an even larger toll on the environment, as it requires the use of more land, significantly more water usage, and creates a larger amount of waste.

One way to “pitch in”, from an environmental standpoint, is to purchase soy products made exclusively from soybeans that are not genetically modified, since non-GMO soybeans are usually grown more responsibly.

Although over 90 percent of the world’s soybeans are genetically modified, most of those are used to make soy by-products (ie: soybean oil, soy protein isolate) used in processed food.

When it comes to soy products, I recommend prioritizing tempeh (fermented soy) and edamame (picture alongside this post), as these are the most nutritious and less processed varieties.

With patriotic spirits soaring over the past few days, I thought it would be perfect timing to discuss U.S. Mills’ cereal and instant oatmeal products — easy and very tasty ways to increase your whole grain and fiber intake.

Three quarters of a cup of Uncle Sam’s original cereal offers 10 grams of fiber (all derived from the ingredients, not added on for fortification), 7 grams of protein, and 0.5 grams of sugar in a 190 calorie package.

I do wish, however, that this cereal included ground flaxseed (as opposed to whole) for even more of a nutrition boost.

In any case, throw in some sliced bananas, add your milk of choice (dairy, soy, rice, etc.) and you have a filling, wholesome breakfast.

I read today that the recommended amount of vitamin D has doubled due to a new study.

I thought most people get enough of it.

How much vitamin D do we get from dairy as compared to being out in the sun?

–Hemi W.
Via the blog

Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide problem; most people certainly do not get enough (especially in the United States).

The issue of Vitamin D requirements being too low has actually been a hot topic in some nutrition circles for years.

According to current recommendations, children and adults up to the age of 50 should get at least 200 International Units, adults 50 to 71 years of age should aim for 400 IUs, and anyone above the age of 71 should be taking in 600.

The new guidelines you are referring to bump up the 200 IUs figure to 400 IUs.

Even so, many researchers think everyone should aim for at least 1,000 IUs a day! Others go further and think the minimum daily intake from supplement should be 2,000 IUs (there is plenty of research to back that up, by the way).

The best source of Vitamin D is the sun, but this can get complicated.

After all, we get this vitamin from exposure to UVB rays, which are not as powerful in winter months and have a harder time getting through on cloud-covered days. In fact, anyone who lives north of Atlanta, Georgia (regardless where in the world that may be) is unable to produce vitamin D from the sun between the months of October and April due to the sun’s rays not being powerful enough.

Additionally, the massive use of moisturizers and creams that block out UVB rays prevents many people from absorbing a good deal of “solar powered” vitamin D.

As much as I love a decadent dessert, wouldn’t it be nice to savor a rich, silky slice of pie that doesn’t pack quite a stomach blow?

Well, feast your eyes on the following recipe for a vegan peanut butter pie which cuts back on calories, sugar, and saturated fat — but certainly not on taste.

Before anyone scrunches up their nose and declares it “gross,” you should know that peanut butter pie lovers are shocked when I tell them the slice of pie they are raving about doesn’t contain a single drop of cream cheese or Cool Whip!

The soy milk I drink (Silk unsweetened) has carrageenan listed as an ingredient. What is that?

Someone I work with told me it causes cancer.

— Miriam Scorfi
Chicago, IL

Carrageenan is an extract from a red seaweed species native to the coast of Ireland.

It does not add to — or detract from — the nutrient content of a given food, but is primarily used to thicken and emulsify.

In your soy milk’s case, carrageenan is used to give it a creamy mouthfeel (this is why an iced latté made with Silk unsweetened soymilk has a much creamier texture than one with non-fat cow’s milk).

Mind you, it is not simply vegan alternatives to milk that contain this extract.

It is found in condensed milk as well as in some ice creams, yogurts, baked goods, and toothpastes.

Let’s now talk about your coworker’s alarming cancer claim.

He or she must be referring to a literature review of 45 studies penned by Dr. Joanne Tobacman (assistant professor of clinical internal medicine at the University of Iowa at the time) that was published in the October 2001 issue of the Environmental Health Perspectives journal.

Dr. Tobacman concluded that carrageenan was not entirely safe and could cause gastrointestinal disorders (as well as increase risk for stomach cancers), since applied heat during preparation — as well stomach acid during digestion — can degrade it into a substance known as poligeenan.

However, two years later, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives concluded that carrageenan was safe for consumption.

Mind you, JECFA originally came to that conclusion in 1998, but reopened the case after reading Dr. Tobacman’s paper.

One sticking point was that when the dosage of carrageenan fed to rats in the literature Dr. Tobacman reviewed was converted to an equivalent measurement for humans, it was an outrageously high figure that would be impossible to consume on a daily basis.

The report downright concludes that “in long-term bioassays, carrageenan has not been found to be carcinogenic, and there is no credible evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect or tumor-promoting effect on the colon in rodents.”

Some scientists have also theorized that the intestinal bacteria of rats (different from that of humans) may have been a significant factor in the degradation of carrageenan witnessed in the literature reviewed by Dr. Tobacman.

By the way, JECFA is made up of toxicologists and other scientists from 10 different countries (including Norway, Japan, Australia, and the United States.)

When carrageenan is used in its unadulterated form, it is perfectly safe. Therefore, I don’t perceive a glass of Silk soymilk — or a splash of it in your cereal — to be a health hazard. There are far more important things to worry about.

I suggest your co-worker look up the word “hyperbole” in the dictionary.

Specifically about the fact that the dairy industry has convinced millions of people, thanks to a very expensive campaign, that milk is the best source of calcium and vitamin D?

There are other ways to get calcium, including broccoli and other greens, so why does milk always show up as the best source?

Humans are also the only species to drink milk as adults. Don’t you find that odd? Doesn’t the fact that millions of people are allergic to milk mean that it’s unhealthy?

Also, I read that there is an addictive component in milk (I think casein?) that keeps people coming back for more, including babies.

Am I healthy if I don’t drink milk? What if I do?

— (Name withheld)
Brooklyn, NY

Quite a lot of questions. Let’s take them piece by piece.

My thoughts on a milk? It is a beverage that, depending on the variety, can be a healthy or not-so-healthy choice.

A glass of skim or low fat milk with your breakfast? Great source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, riboflavin, and protein.

An extra large latte with half and half? All you’re really getting is a boatload of calories and saturated fat (half and half contains very little protein and calcium.)

Is the milk lobby a powerful presence in Washington? You betcha. Why else do you think the “dairy” group in the food pyramid is now called the “milk” group.

That is one change I am very unhappy about, as it takes away attention from other healthy options like yogurt, and cottage cheese.

That said, dairy products truly are a good source of calcium. Not only is the quantity of said mineral rather high, it is also among the most absorbable.

As for vitamin D — it is not naturally present in milk, but is rather there as a result of fortification. Cereals, orange juice, and soy drinks are also fortified with just as much Vitamin D, so I do not consider dairy to be the “go to” food for the sunshine vitamin.

Besides, a glass of milk provides approximately one tenth of the daily Vitamin D requirement, so the best way to get the sunshine vitamin is to soak up about 20 minutes of sunlight a day and, in my opinion, pop a supplement.

Can you get sufficient calcium without dairy? Absolutely. Nowadays, with calcium-fortified juices and soy products, there is no reason for the word “vegan” to mean “calcium deprived.”

There are also a variety of non-dairy foods that naturally contain calcium: tofu, tempeh, and soybeans among them.

Keep in mind that some leafy green vegetables (spinach, beet greens, and rhubarb) contain oxalates, which bind to calcium and greatly reduce its absorption.

If you’re looking to get some calcium from vegetables, opt for collard greens, bok choy, and kale.

Seaweed also happens to be a great non-dairy source of calcium.

As for the argument that humans are the only species to drink milk as adults (and therefore some sort of natural aberration), it’s one of those leaps of logic that makes absolutely no sense to me.

Other animals don’t have the choice to drink milk as adults.

After a certain time, their mother’s milk supply is gone, and they certainly don’t have supermarkets to shop at, or other species to cuddle up to and start suckling from.

The “humans are the only animals to drink milk as adults” argument isn’t even true.

I can tell you from personal experience that if I pour cow’s milk into a bowl, my cat will happily drink it without any prodding on my part.

Human allergies with milk have nothing to do with its status as “healthy” or “unhealthy” food. Many people are allergic to peanuts and shrimp, two very healthy foods.

As for there being an addictive substance in milk, I haven’t seen that mentioned anywhere in the literature. The reason why babies “keep coming back for more” is because their mothers are feeding it to them.

I firmly stand in the middle of this issue. I believe a perfectly healthy diet can be milk-free just as I believe that milk can be a nutritious beverage.

Personally, I am partial to organic milk from grass-fed cows.

For the record, I have no issues with pasteurized milk. I don’t see any reason to start seeking out raw milk (remember, we don’t need digestive enzymes from food, so the fact that these enzymes are killed when milk is pasteurized means nothing.)

What I find horribly messed up is that the milk from a cow that eats nothing but grass and is not pumped up with any Franken-hormones (the ONLY milk available at one point in time) is now a “luxury” high-cost product. Ugh.

A cup of reduced-fat (2%) milk adds up to 123 calories, 8.1 grams of protein, and 28.5% of a day’s calcium needs.

A cup of rice milk?120 calories, 1 gram of protein, and just 2% of the daily calcium requirement.

If you opt for rice milk, make sure to consume foods high in calcium (kale, broccoli, calcium-fortified cereals) throughout the day. The lower protein content is irrelevant; most of us get plenty of it already, seeing as how it is pervasive in the food supply.

Although Vitamin B12 is often cited as an issue in vegan diets, fortification has made this former problem a lot easier to manage.

Many popular cereals are fortified with vitamin B12.

Let’s go back to the Cheerios example — 1 cup provides a third of a day’s needs.

A cup of some (fortified) soymilks, meanwhile, contains 40 percent of a day’s worth of B12!

Wakame – a kelp – is also a great source. It’s one of the few seaweeds that contains human-active B12 (as opposed to the analog type, which is useless in our bodies).

In the event that B12 needs can not be met through food, I do recommend supplementation. Make sure it is specifically a B12 supplement and not a multivitamin containing B12 (vitamin C, vitamin E, and iron can impede absorption).

Coleen De Vol, a nutrition consultant — though not a registered dietitian — comments.

Jackie, she of the eight-pack and blonde ‘do, starts her day off with a protein shake made of whey, flaxseed oil, amino acids, miracle greens, and frozen berries.

Day 1 has a mid-morning snack of oatmeal (I am assuming unsweetened), while Day 2 includes an apple and one slice of lean turkey meat.

While the protein shake includes fiber and fruits, I don’t think the amino acids are necessary, particularly since she is eating a balanced diet with complete proteins.

I would also add some solid food to accompany it, since liquid calories do not satiate as well as “real” food.

Jackie’s lunch and dinner include whole grains like quinoa, plenty of vegetables like broccoli, and healthy proteins like salmon and tuna. Perfect!

Incredibly, the nutrition consultant claims Jackie needs more protein in her diet due to her heavy workouts. I disagree — she is getting more than enough for her body weight, even taking into account her level of physical activity.

I do concur with the consultant that Jackie needs more calcium in her diet. And, while the consultant also notes that Jackie’s eating regimen seems rigid, it does include great-tasting healthy food. If she doesn’t feel deprived, all seems OK to me.

Ted Allen, meanwhile, starts off his day with coffee, orange juice, and refined carbohydrates.

While I don’t agree with the consultant’s notion that Ted’s breakfast is too acidic (there is no mention of him having any medical conditions that would render this problematic), I do agree that his meals are lacking fiber (one day is very heavy on full-fat dairy and protein and completely free of whole grains and legumes).

Sandra Lee, meanwhile, is chastised for enjoying a vanilla soy latte. The consultant claims “the highly processed form of soy Sandy is drinking every morning is a common allergen.” I don’t find anything wrong with enjoying a half cup of soy milk in your coffee every day.

The consultant also claims that soymilk is usually genetically modified, which I do not think is an accurate statements. Popular mainstream brands like Silk are made from non genetically-modified soybeans, for example.

Sandra’s diet is alarmingly low on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In fact, Day 1 only includes two vegetables — the tomatoes and onions she throws into a pasta dish. Day 2, meanwhile, includes French fries for lunch AND dinner — and it’s the only vegetable she’s eating!

I always find it fascinating to know what others eat, particularly people in the culinary and nutrition fields.

Sadly, I feel like this article once again polarizes “foodies” vs. “healthy eaters.”